NEW YORK - Hank Trumbull caught a touchdown pass from Skyler Mornhinweg and Cameron Nizialek scored on a fake field goal as the Columbia football team earned a 17-7 road win over Yale, improving the season record to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in Ivy League play.
The Columbia defense had its best outing of the season, as the Bulldogs were only able to score on an 80-yard punt return in the first half. Jared Katz recorded a first half interception while Christian Conway and Brock Kenyon both had fumble recoveries on the day.
The win for Columbia is its first in the Yale Bowl since 1996, when the Lions knocked off the Bulldogs, 13-10.
Yale got on the board first after neither offense was able to pick up a first down on the first five drives of the game. After a punt by Matthew Panton was caught at the 20 by Jason Alessi, a few nice blocks gave the Bulldogs a clear sideline for an 80-yard return, making the game 7-0 with 9:25 to go in the first.
In the second quarter, Katz picked off quarterback Morgan Roberts his first career interception, turning the momentum, as Yale had the ball in Columbia territory. The Lions put together a nice drive after the interception, and had first and goal after a 29-yard scramble from Mornhinweg. On third and goal, Mornhinweg found Trumbull on a seven-yard score, his first career touchdown as a Lion.
Yale had a chance to move ahead as time was winding down in the second quarter, but a missed field goal from Bryan Holmes sent the teams into the locker room tied, 7-7.
The Lions defense came out in the second half playing as well as it did in the first, forcing a Yale punt after three plays. Columbia drove the ball back down the field and Cameron Nizialek nailed a career-long 40-yard field goal to give the Lions a 10-7 lead at the 9:38 mark in the third.
The defense would answer again later in the third, as Chad Washington sacked Roberts on first down, leading the Bulldogs to again punt the ball away. Yale attempted a fake punt on fourth and three, but Matthew Cahal, Gianmarco Rea, Kenyon and Washington all sniffed out the fake, dropping the Yale player for a loss.
Columbia put together a drive at the end of the third that went into the fourth, leading to a field goal attempt from the 13-yard line. Trevor McDonagh stood up after the snap, rolled to the right and pitched the ball to Nizialek, who ran down the sideline for a touchdown, putting the Lions up 17-7 after the PAT.
Yale had four fourth quarter drives after the Columbia score, but could not put anything together to cut into the lead. Facing a fourth and 13, Yale connected on a 11-yard pass play, but Katz was able to make the tackle out of bounds to give the Lions the ball back with 1:01 on the clock. Mornhinweg kneeled the ball twice, and the Lions left New Haven with its first Ivy League victory since a win over Cornell in 2012.
For the game, Columbia held Yale to just 120 yards of total offense and negative 14 yards rushing. The Lions were also able to get off the field on third down, limiting the Bulldogs to just 1-of-13 on third down.
Conway led the defense in sacks with two, while Keith Brady, Toba Akinleye, Washington and Rea were all able to pick up one sack each.
Cameron Molina led the rushing attack with 76 yards on 23 carries. Mornhinweg went 11-for-22 for 82 yards and the touchdown to Trumbull, while running the ball 11 times for 47 yards.
Up next, undefeated Harvard will travel to Columbia for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Nov. 7.
